Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden Wiki
'Overview' The Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden is the second-oldest zoo in the United States and is located in Cincinnati, Ohio. It opened in 1875, just 14 months after the Philadelphia Zoo on July 1, 1874. The Reptile House is the oldest zoo building in the United States, dating from 1875. The Cincinnati Zoo is located in the Cincinnati neighborhood of Avondale. It was founded on 65.4 acres (26.5 ha) in the middle of the city, and since then it has acquired some of the surrounding blocks and several reserves in Cincinnati's outer suburbs. The zoo conducts breeding programs, and was the first to successfully breed California Sea Lions. The zoo also has other breeding programs including Cheetahs, Sumatran rhinoceros, Malayan tigers, Western Lowland Gorillas, Pottos, and Masai giraffes. The Cincinnati Zoo was the home of Martha, the last living passenger pigeon, which died there in 1914. It was also home to the last living Carolina parakeet in 1918. The zoo is an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), and a member of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA). Not to mention the fact that the Cincinnati Zoo has some unbelievable rides for the family such as the Train ride which circles the park. It also has in it numberous gift shops for all of your Zoo needs and statues throughout the Zoo which provide the most prestine places to take photos of the family. The Zoo has some more modern additions to its arsenal of fun. These include the 4D Theater which shows a variety of movies, and the Zoo themed Carasel which is one of a kind to say the least. 'History' In 1872, Andrew Erkenbrecher and several other residents created the Society for the Acclimatization of Birds in Cincinnati to acquire insect-eating birds to control a severe outbreak of caterpillars. A collection of approximately 1,000 birds imported from Europe in 1872 was housed in Burnet Woods before being released. The 'Acclimatization Society of Cincinnati' was established in 1873 as similar organizations with imperial aims proliferated in Moscow, Berlin, London and Melbourne in the late nineteenth century. The Zoological Society of Cincinnati established a zoo, consisting of just over sixty-six acres in Blakely Woods. The land was purchased by Andrew Erkenbrecher and leased to the Zoological Society for 99 years. This site was acquired in 1874 and the zoo officially opened its doors to the public on September 18, 1875, making the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden the second oldest intentionally constructed zoo in the United States The Zoo opened with 769 animals on display. Admission was 25 cents for adults and 15 cents for children. Founded by Jonathan Schoonover of Cincinnati and designed by the landscape engineer Theodor Fundeisen, The Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden was originally named the Cincinnati Zoological Gardens. Architect James W. McLaughlin, who constructed the zoo's first buildings, designed the earliest completed zoological exhibits in the United States. The Zoo's original animal collection consisted of eight monkeys, two Grizzly bears, three White-tailed deer, six raccoons, two elk, a buffalo, a Spotted Hyena, a tiger, an American alligator, a circus elephant, and over four hundred birds, including a crow. The zoo also is home to some Indian peafowls that are free to rom around the zoo. The first guide book about the Cincinnati Zoo was written in 1876 in German. The founders of the zoo, including its first general manager, were German immigrants and the city had quite a large German-speaking population. first English-language edition (illustrated) was published in 1893. In 1878 the first sea lion was born in captivity, and the first pair of giraffes were acquired by the zoo (Daisy and Abe). In its first 20 years the zoo experienced many financial difficulties, and despite selling 22 acres (8.9 ha) to pay off debt in 1886, it went into receivership in 1898. The Cincinnati Zoological Company was able to bring the zoo out of receivership and keep it going. The Cincinnati Traction Company purchased it in 1901 and operated the zoo for 16 years. In 1917, the Cincinnati Zoological Park Association, funded by donations from philanthropists Mary Emery and Anna Sinton Taft, took over management of the zoo. In 1932 the city purchased the zoo and now runs it through the Board of Park Commissioners. In 1931 the zoo procured what was at the time the only trained Gorilla in the world. Suzie was originally captured in the Belgian Congo, and brought to the United States on Graf Zeppelin in August 1929. When she arrived at the zoo, Suzie had just finished a tour of North America. Although experts had said she had no more than six months to live when she arrived in America, she lived for 21 years and died at the Cincinnati zoo on October 29, 1947. Her body was donated to the University of Cincinnati, where her skeleton was used for many years, and destroyed in a fire in 1974. In 1951 the original Monkey House was converted into the Reptile House. In addition to its live animal exhibits, the zoo houses refreshments stands, a dance hall, roads, walkways, and picnic grounds. Between 1920 and 1972, the Cincinnati Summer Opera performed in an open-air pavilion and were broadcast by NBC radio. 1987, the zoo was designated as a National Historic Landmark due to its significant architecture featured in the Elephant House, the Reptile House, and the Passenger Pigeon Memorial. The Zoo's Reptile House is the oldest existing Zoo building in the country, dating from 1875. 'Animals and Exhibits' 'Wildlife Canyon and Sumatran Rhinos' Opening as two large yards for Elk and Deer, it was renovated in 1942 as the Deer Line featuring American bison, Sika deer, fallow deer, llamas, guanacos, sambars, yak, elk, and red deer and other hooved creatures througout the years. It was then renovated again in 1989 as Wildlife Canyon. This area features 9 total paddocks including a chance to get a better look at the birds in Eagle Eyrie. Two takins have been born at the zoo since 2006, and two Rover hog litters were born at the zoo in 2008 at the same time(8 hog-lets). The Cincinnati Zoo was the first zoo to exhibit Przewalski's horses in 1905. Featured animals include: *Emu *Sari and Humphrey the Bactrian camels *Raison and Bellatessa the Przewalski's Horses *Sichuan Takin *Red River Hog Sumatran Rhinos: In the last exhibit of Wildlife Canyon, guests will see Suci (born on July 30, 2004), and Ipuh her father. These are the only Sumatran rhinos on display at a major zoo in the country. Harapan, a Sumatran rhino born at the zoo on April 27, 2007, is currently at the White Oak Conservation Center in North Caroilina. Lastly Andalas, was the first Sumatran rhino born in captivity in over 112 years (1889) on September 13, 2001, and the first Sumatran rhino born at the zoo, is currently at the Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary in Sumatra. Emi, the rhino who gave birth to all these rare creatures, died in September 2009 of liver complications. These exhibits are full of dirt and mud to cool the rhinos on a hot day. Another feature of the exhibits is that they are under large shady structures to protect the rhinos' eyes from the sun. 'Eagle Eyrie' This flight cage opened in 1970, it is 72 feet high, 140 feet long, and 50 feet wide, and opened as one of the largest flight cages of it's time, and it contained Bald eagles. The exhibit features an observation deck that is actually inside the flight cage, so nothing can come between the visitor and the raptors. Featured raptors include: *Andean Condor *Steller's Sea Eagle 'Reptile House' The oldest American zoo building, the Reptile House was built in 1875 in Turkish style and is a National Historic Landmark.It was one of the Zoo's original buildings that first housed monkeys and other primates 1951. The primate collection included Suzie, the world's first trained gorilla. It is now home to the over 30 reptile species from around the world. A black rat snake and a Yucatan Neotropical Rattlesnake was born in early 2010. Along with two pancake tortoises that hatched in 2010 and 6 baby Galapagos tortoises that the acquired in 2009. The large Burmese python moved from the Reptile House into Night Hunters in May 2011 Featured Animals Include: Center Exhibit: *Chinese alligator *Red-eared slider *Common snapping turtle ' Snakes: *King cobra *Asian Vine Snake *Albino Nelson's Milksnake *Gaboon viper *Rhinoceros Viper *The only Yucatan Neotropical Rattlesnakes on display in North America (Zoo Baby) *Albino California King Snake *Caatinga Lancehead *Brazilian Rainbow Boa *Green Tree Python *Terciopelo *Mexican West Coast Rattlesnake *Black Rat Snake (Zoo Baby) *Angolan Python *Aruba Island Rattlesnake *Eyelash Viper *Jameson's Mamba ' Lizards: *Solomon Islands Skink *African fat-tailed gecko *Razo Island Skink *Madagascar Giant Day Gecko *Mexican Beaded Lizard *Reticulated Gila Monster *Blue Tree Monitor *Ornate Monitor ' Tortoises: *Pancake tortoise (Zoo Babies) *Galapagos tortoise (Zoo Babies) ' Amphibians: *Cave salamander *Gray tree frog *Spring salamander Major Mitchell's Cockatoo Island: 'These colorful cockatoos will say "Hello" to visitors on this small island connected to the Reptile House. ' ''' '''Featured cockatoos include: *Henry the Major Mitchell's Coakatoo rotates with *Sammy the Salmon-crested Cockatoo 'Monkey Island' Built in 1930 and renovated in 1985, this manmade rock island is surrounded by a moat and exotic landscaping and provides a home for 11 lively monkeys on one of the first bar less monkey exhibits in North America. Featured monkeys include: *Japanese macaques 'Night Hunters' Opened in 1952 as the Carnivora Building and renovated in 1985 as the Cat House and then renovated again in 2010-2011. This is the newest attraction at the zoo, and it is home to many nocturnal and predatory animals from former exhibits around the zoo. There are 12 animals from the Cat House, 8 from the Nocturnal House, 2 from Jungle Trails, 1 from the Reptile House and 3 animals from different zoos. A tayra was born at the zoo on May 24, 2011, the Cincinnati Zoo is the only place in the U.S. breeding tayras. A Pallas' cat at the Zoo gave birth to the world's first Pallas' cat kittens born from Artificial Insemination on June 8, 2011. Around late 2011, the zoo will begin breeding clouded leopards using Artifical Insemination. Also Bearcat born from Audrey at the zoo in June 2011. Featured predatory and nocturnal animals include: *Eurasian Eagle owl *Pallas' Cat (Zoo Babies) *Fossa *The only Aardwolves on display in the nation *Clouded leopard *Pygmy Slow Loris *Common Vampire Bat *Potto *Aardvark *Greater Bushbaby *Giant Fruit Bat *Ocelot *Southern Brazilian Ocelot *Burmese python *Arabian Sand Cat *Black-footed Cat *Carcal *Bearcat (Zoo Baby) *Tayra (Zoo Baby) *Bat-eared fox *Fennec Fox *Fishing Cat *Bobcat Outdoor exhibts: *Chief Joseph and Tucumseh the brother Cougars *Eastern Siberian Lynx 'Gorilla World' Opened in 1978 as a naturalistic, rain forest habitat for the Cincinnati Zoo's popular gorillas. The Cincinnati Zoo leads the country in gorilla births with 48. Bakari was the last gorilla born at the zoo in 2006. The zoo holds the record for having 6 gorilla births in one year in 1995. Because of these accomplishments, the Cincinnati Zoo has earned the name from Newsweek, the Sexiest Zoo in America. Rosie, a gorilla formerly at the zoo (Henry Doorly Zoo), gave birth to the world's first test-tube gorilla named Timu in October 1995. Samantha, a gorilla at the zoo today, was the second gorilla born at the zoo just 8 months after Sam in 1970 and is one of the oldest gorillas in captivity. The oldest one in captivity is a female named Colo at the Columbus Zoo. The zoo recently announced that they recieved Asha, a nine year-old gorilla from the Gladys Porter Zoo, she arrived on October 13, 2011, but she will remain off exhibit until spring 2012. Anju, a 10 year-old female gorilla from the Pittsburg Zoo is scheduled to arive next spring. The zoo will introduce these two females to Jomo, one of the zoo's silverbacks. All of the females that are at the zoo now are considered over represented in captivity, so none of them will breed with Jomo. Madge and Shanta, two of the zoo's many females, left to the Dallas Zoo on November 8, 2011. In the spring of 2012, a mother and son pair, Muke and Bakari will leave to the Oklahoma City Zoo. Feature primates include: *Western lowland gorilla *Eastern colobus monkey *Grey's crowned guenon Meet the Gorillas Females *Muke (leaving in spring 2012) *Mara *M'linzi *Chewie *Samantha *Asha (new arrival to be on exhibit in spring 2012) *Anju (to arrive at the zoo in spring 2012) Males *Jomo (leader) *Bakari (leaving in spring 2012) 'Passenger Pigeon Memorial' Built in 1875 as seven bird aviaries. The building was moved to its current location and renovated into this memorial in the mid 1970s. The Passenger Pigeon Memorial pays tribute to Martha, the passenger pigeon who was the last representative of her species. Martha hatched at the Cincinnati Zoo in 1888 and died there in 1914. This exhibit reinforces the strong conservation message that the Cincinnati Zoo hopes to convey in all its work. The last captive Carolina parakeet, Incas, died in 1918 and is also commemorated here. 'World of the Insect' Opened in 1978, this is the largest building in North America devoted to the display of live insects. The Cincinnati Zoo has been given four awards by the American Zoo and Aquarium Association for successful propagation of insects, and Insect World received the prized American Zoo and Aquarium Association exhibit award in 1979. Naked mole rats and Giant walking sticks were born at the zoo in 2010 and Andean cock-of-the-rocks came to the zoo in August 2011. This building also features the longest ant exhibit in the world Featured Invertebrates include: Ants: *Bullet Ant *Leaf-cutting ant Beetles: *American Burying Beetle *Emerald beetle *Flamboyant flower beetle *Hercules beetle *Jade-Headed Buffalo Beetle *Sunburst diving beetle *Taxi-Cab Beetle *Tin-Foil Beetle *Yellow-bellied beetle Cockroaches: *Bat Cave cockroach *Green-Leaf Cockroach *Madagascar hissing cockroach *Zebra Bug Grasshoppers: *Eastern Lubber Grasshopper *Grey Bird Grasshopper Scorpions: *Giant desert hairy scorpion *Vinegaroon *Water Scorpion Spiders: *Brown recluse spider Walking Sticks: *Australian Walking Stick *Giant Jumping Stick *Giant Walking Stick (100,000 Zoo Babies) Other Various Bugs and Insects: *Giant African Millipede *Giant Water Bug *Giant Spiny leaf insect *Red-Eyed Assassin Bug *Tri-Colored Backswimmer *White-eyed assassin bug *Water Strider What Eats Insects: *Naked mole rat (Zoo Babies) *Spiny Blue Lizard *Black tree monitor *Rough Green Snake *Yellow and Blue Poison Dart Frog *Henkel's Leaf-tailed Gecko *Ornate Horned Frog *Emperor tamarin Butterfly Rainforest: Walk into this part of the building and see free-roaming and free-flying animals like.... *African-helmeted turtle *Andean Cock-of-the-rock''' (the newest species at the zoo)' *Blue Ground Dove *Peruvian Pigeon *Golden-headed Manakin *Spangled Cotinga *White-naped Pheasant Pigeon *African Pygmy Goose *Passion Flower Butterfly 'Lemur Lookout' This open-aired exhibit was built in 1962 as Baboon Island and renovated Ibex Island. It allows guests to look down at some of the zoo's lemurs on a 30ft tall, mad-made rock with many lush and shady areas, surrounded by a small stream. The Cincinnati Zoo is the lemur captial of North America with three species and eight total lemurs. '''Featured lemurs include:' *Ring-tailed lemurs 'Dragons!' This building features 5 of some of the longest, smallest, and the most colorful monitor lizards ranging from Southeast Asia and Australia. Chia-Chia, a male Giant panda from the London Zoo, stayed in this building for 6 weeks in 1988 before it was later renovated in 1990. The zoo then attained the largest Komodo dragon to ever live in captivity in the Western Hemisphere named Naga. Naga was a male died in 2007 of an abdominal infection at the age of 24, he sired 32 offspring. Naga was 9ft and weighed 200lbs at his prime and 9ft 160lbs when he died. He was a gift from George H. W. Bush who got it from the Indonesian Government. The Cincinnati Zoo was the second U.S. zoo to exhibit Komod dragons and the second zoo to breed them outside of Indonesia. The enclosure then held a Giant anteater, a Red-legged Seriema, Golden-lion tamarins and various tropical birds, until it was renovated in 2009 and opened in June 2010. Three green tree monitors hatched at the zoo on June 2 and 3 of 2011, but the offspring are currently not on display. Hudo, the current Komodo dragon at the zoo, has two beautiful indoor and outdoor exhibits. Featured monitors include: *Ackie's dwarf monitor *Green tree monitor (Zoo Babies) *Quince monitor *Jasper a Crocodile Monito *Hudo a Komodo Dragon 'Nocturnal House (closed)' The Zoo’s Nocturnal House was converted in 1964, from the depression-era animal hospital to 12 individual exhibits. At that time, the Nocturnal House was one of only three in the United Sates and was one of the earliest exhibits where the normal light cycles were switched allowing Zoo visitors to look into the life of Nocturnal animals when they were most active. This featured some of the rarest noctunal animals on Earth, there were only a few animals in the building that were well known by guests. The Nocturnal House has brought much success to the preservation and breeding of nocturnal animals. Some of the nocturnal stars are the vampire bats, which were hand collected by Cincinnati Zoo keepers on an excursion to Mexico, for the original exhibit. One of the rarest attractions, the potto, originates from Africa and the Zoo houses six of these exotic primates with only 14 living in the United States. It closed on November 13, 2011, to transfer some of the animals to Night Hunters and has secret disappointing plans of what its going to be turned into. Animals Included: *Barn owl *Blind Cave fish *Common vampire bat *Southern three-banded armadillo *Large-spotted genet *Bearcat *Feather-tailed Glider *Fennec fox *Potto *Linnaeus's two-toed sloth *Six-banded armadillo *Sugar glider *Black-headed Douroucouli *Southern Douroucouli *Central American Cacomistle *Aardvark *Indian Flying Fox *Garnett's Galago 'Otto M. Budig Family Foundation Manatee Springs' Manatee Springs, a $4,500,000 attraction, opened on May 21, 1999 and was awarded the Munson Aquatic Conservation Exhibitry Award and a Significant Achievement Exhibit Award from the American Zoo and Aquarium Association in 2000. The sights, sounds and smells of Florida greet visitors as they enter Manatee Springs. Close-up viewing on both dry land, as well as dramatic underwater viewing of over 45 magnificent species provide an exciting experience for every Zoo visitor. Manatee Springs facilities include a greenhouse (304 m²) and an exhibit building (1035 m²). The entire facility (1339 m²) includes 171 m² (1,900 ft²) of staff and support areas and 369m² (4,100 ft²) of filtration equipment space on two levels. The manatee tank is 120,000 gallons with 3 viewing areas including a bubble window. Illusion, one of the zoo's manatees will was freed into the wild down in Florida on November 9. She was 8th manatee to be freed into the wild rom the Cincinnati Zoo. Featured Florida animals include: Greenhouse: *American Alligator *Spotted gar *Florida cooter *Alligator Snapping Turtle *American Crocodile Featured indoor exhibits: *Caribbean Hermit Crab *Alligator Snapping Turtle *Black Crappie *Channel Catfish *Golden shiner *Largemouth Bass *Redbreast sunfish *Redear sunfish *Knight Anole *Golden Silk-orb weaver Manatee tank: *Florida Manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris) *Alligator gar *Chain pickerel *Channel Catfish *Grass Carp *Florida Gar *Florida softshell turtle *Longnose gar *Spotted gar *Golden shiner Infamous Plant Invaders: *Azureus Cichlid *Banded dwarf cichlid *Green Severum *Oscar *Red-bellied piranha *Red Devil Cichlid *Mozambique Tilapia Florida Biodiversity: *Florida Cottonmouth *Two-toed Amphiuma *Margarita Snail *Royal Gramma Basslet *Florida Decorated Crab *Peppermint Shrimp *Royal Coral Shrimp *Scarlet Hermit Crab *Turbo Snail *Southern Copperhead *Mangrove Water Snake *Loggerhead musk turtle *Western mosquitofish *Eastern Gulf Coast Waterdog Palmetto Scrub: *Corn Snake *Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake *Everglades Rat Snake *Timber Rattlesnake *Yellow Rat Snake Meet the Manatees: Wooten was rescued as a calf from the wild in February 2010. He appeared to be suffering from cold stress and his mother was no where in sight. The Miami Seaquarium took care of him for a few months before he came to the zoo in November 2010. He is smallest manatee the zoo has ever had. Illusion injured by a boat strike, she was rescued in March 2010. The Miami Seaquarium also took care of her until she was ready to make the trip to the Zoo in November 2010. It has been announced that Illusion will soon be freed into the wild in Florida on November 9th. She will be the 8th manatee to be freed from the Cincinnati Zoo.. Betsy was born in 1990 in Homosassa Springs, Florida. When she arrived at the zoo in 2010, she weighed 1800 pounds, which is average for an adult manatee. She is the largest manatee the zoo has ever exhibited. 'Siegfried and Roy's White Lions of Timbavati' This exhibit opened as Big Cat Canyon in 1975, containing three 1-year old White tigers. In February and in August of 1988, the Zoo attained rare African White Lion cubs donated to the zoo by Siegfried and Roy. These lions successfully bred four offspring in April 2001 and they are on display today. To view them, walk over the Canyon bridge to view the lions unobstructed in a natural setting. Featured cats include *African white lions 'Rhino Reserve' Built in 1935 as the African Veldt, with large hoofed, and other animals like Zebras, Elands and African birds, Blesboks, Ostriches and Hippos, then in 1997 it became Rhino Reserve. This area is home to Flamingo Cove where over 20 flamingos yelp and walk through the water all day. Nikki had a miscarriage in October 2010, but she made history, she was the first Indian rhino to be impregnated from Artificial Insemination. Kuvua an okapi is Pregnant, and she will give birth around December of 2012. The bongos Safi and Mac gave birth to a beautiful girl named Luna on February 14, 2010. Flamingo chicks hatched in July 2011 but the they are not on exhibit. Zebras Lainey Lynn and Shewa, gave birth to Marty on August 24, 2009. The zoo doesn't currently have a Black Rhino baby but they do rank as a U.S. leader in breeding Black rhinos with 18 births. As of now guests will not be able to view Kuvua, the bongos and the cranes, the flamingos and the zebras for the construction of Cat Canyon opening early summer of 2011. Featured animals include: *Nikki and Manjula the female Indian rhinos *Kuvua an Okapi *Mac, Safi and Luna the Eastern bongos (Zoo Babies) *East African Crowned-crane *Greater flamingo (Zoo Babies not on exhibit) *Bar-headed goose *Lainey Lynn, Shewa and Marty the Grevy's zebra *Klyde an Eastern black rhino 'Tiger Canyon (soon to be Cat Canyon)' The attraction is closed for the opening of construction of Cat Canyon that will open in June 2012. It will be home to Malayan tigers and and a breeding pair of Snow leopards that will allow guests to come face-to-face with the cats. These three grottoes were also the first bar less exhibits at the zoo, featuring African lions, Bengal tigers and African birds opened in 1934. Later it became one of the largest collection of big cats featuring African lions, Indo-chinese and Bengal tigers, and even African wild dogs. The Cincinnati Zoo leads the world in Indo-Chinese tiger births with 38. Featured former animals included: *White tiger (Panthera tigris) *Cheetah Future animals will include: *Malayan tiger *Snow leopard 'Jungle Trails' This nearly 2-acre attraction opened in 1993, and is rated the greatest and probably the most favorite attraction at the zoo. Jungle Trails received the American Zoo and Aquarium Association's prestigious exhibit award in 1994. It is a naturalized rain forest habitat, teeming with rare and exotic wildlife and hundreds of plant species from Asia and Africa. The exhibit, with both indoor and outdoor viewing areas, and has become the home for the Zoo's collection of rare primates. Three bonobos were born at the zoo in (2) March and (1) May of 2010, along with a White-handed gibbon named Possum, who was born at the zoo in March 2010. The zoo will attain a male Aye-aye in late 2011 to start breeding using Artificial Insemination for the first time in world history and they were the first zoo to exhibit one. There have been other animals like Douc langurs, Striped possums, Pygmy slow loris, Shoebill storks, Roseate spoonbills, Black-and-white colobus monkeys, Grey's crowned guenons, Aardwolves and many other species have been exhibited in J''ungle Trails''. Featured Animals Inlude: Asian Animals trail: *Mueller's Gibbon *Lesser Adjutant Stork *Lana and Butch the Sumatran Orangutans Tropical Asian Animals Building: '' * Northern Luzon Giant Cloud Rat *Banded Palm Civet *Sugar Glider *White-handed Gibbon '(Zoo Baby)' *Lion-tailed Macaque *Francois Langur ''African Animals trail: *Pink-backed Pelican *Saddle-billed stork *Black-and-White Ruffed Lemur *White-naped Raven *Angolan colobus monkey *Bonobo (Zoo Babies) Tropical African Animals Building: *Potto *Garnett's galago *Large spotted Genet *Diana monkey *Eastern Yellow-billed Hornbill *Hamerkop *Golden-breasted Starling *Ruddy Shelduck *Emperor scorpion *Bonobo (Zoo Babies) *Aye-Aye *Grey Bamboo Lemur *Potto *Dumeril’s Ground Boa 'Kroger Lords of the Arctic' Kroger is a Grocery store. Opened in 2000, it is three times the size of the expanded bear grotto built in the 1930's. The renovation made of shotcrete, a concrete material that can withstand the bear's claws, includes four waterfalls, a children's cave to replicate a den, all in 21,000-square-feet with a 12-foot-deep, 70,000-gallon pool. A bald eagle will return to this attraction in June 2012. Featured animals include: *Polar bear *Barred owl *Bald Eagle(2012) 'Bear Line' Connecting to the Lords of the Arctic, this small attraction that was built in 1937 called the Bear Pits, is just two very small and outdated grottoes for bears native to the Americas. This is the most horrific part of the zoo, so don't see it. The original bear pits were built on a hillside suggesting their mountainous habitats. The 78-foot-long stone building was divided into three, 12-foot-deep pits, measuring 22-by-24 feet wide with curved bar fronts, a watering hole, and two 4-by-6-foot dens tucked into the sides. Featured animals include: *Spectacled bear *American black bear 'Wings of the World: A Celebration of Flight' This was originally the Reptile House that opened in 1937 and was converted into the Bird House in 1961 and then later expanded and renovated into Wings of the World in 1996. In the building there are 9 exhibits that feature birds and their habitats from all over the world including two walk-through aviaries, 3, one open-walled exhibits, and 6 exhibits behind glass. A Pigeon Guillemot hatched in June 2011 along with a female Southern rockhopper penguin on June 2 born from Kim and Wallace in the same year. Featured aves include: Outdoor exhibits: *Laughing Kookaburra *Blue-and-gold Macaw *Blue-throated Macaw *Southern Screamer Amazon *Matamata turtle *Crested Screamer *Opal-rumped Tanager *Paradise Tanager *Red-capped Cardinal *Elegant Crested Tinamou *Guira Cuckoo *Golden Conure *Northern Helmeted Curassow *Northern Lapwings *Pesquet's Parrot *Red Shoveler *Saffron Finch *Scarlet Ibis *Sunbittern *Yellow-rumped Cacique Australasia *Raggiana Bird-of-paradise (Outside the actual aviary) *Rhinoceros Hornbill *Giant Fruit Bat *Nicobar Pigeon *Asian Fairy Bluebird *Bali Myna *Blue-crowned Laughing Thrush *Jambu Fruit Doves *White-naped Pheasant Pigeon *White-throated Ground Dove Montane *Masked Bobwhite Quail *Thick-billed Parrot Grasslands *Black-winged Red Bishop *Blue-breasted Kingfisher *Blue-naped Mousebird *Four-banded Sandgrouse *Golden-breasted Starling *Northern Carmine Bee-eater *Violet-backed Starling Wetlands *Double-crested Cormorant *Tri-colored Heron *Ruddy Duck *Red-bellied Cooter *Peninsula cooter Featured Exhibits *Bourke's Parakeet *Red-flanked Lorikeet *Scarlet-chested Parrot *Gouldian Finch Arctic Islands *Crested Auklet *Harlequin Duck *Least Auklet *Whiskered Auklet *Smew Arctic Sea Cliffs *Common Murre *Harlequin Duck *Horned Puffin *Pigeon Guillemot (Zoo Baby) *Spectacled Eider Sub-antarctic Coast *Black-faced Ibis *Chiloe Wigeon *Blue-eyed Cormorant *Inca Tern *King Penguin *Magellanic Penguin *Southern Rockhopper Penguin (Zoo Baby) 'Spaulding's Lorikeet Landing' The Walk-Through Flight Cage opened in 1962 until it was turned into Lorikeet Landing during the temporary Adventure Down Under attraction that took over the Children's Zoo in the summer of 2006. This walk-through aviary allows guests to feed Lories and Lorikeets seed-sticks and nectar for only 1$. Featured animals include: *Black-capped Lory *Chattering Lory *Rainbow Lorikeet *Weber's Lorikeet *Cape-barren Goose *Kea *Magpie Goose *Nicobar Pigeon *Pied-Imperial Pigeon *Ruddy Shelduck *Victoria Crowned Pigeon 'Wolf Woods' Otter Creek, renovated in 2005 to feature more small North American,and playful animals in the improved 20,000 square foot Wolf Woods. 6 Mexican wolves were born at the zoo in 2006 and two sisters, Maya and Sedona are on display today. The path to the otter under-water viewing, the turtle and former turkey exhibit are currently closed off because one of the glass viewing windows to the otter enclosure shattered from a storm. The otters are currently off display. Featured animals include: *Gray fox *North American River otter *Eastern Box turtle *Mexican wolf *Thick-billed parrot *Masked Bobwhite Quail 'Sea Lions ' This exhibit was opened in 1877 as the Sea Lion Basin. Today this is a hybrid exhibit with a large rocky simulated shore and a deep pool with an under-water viewing for visitors. Before guests walk into Wolf Woods, Callie and Duke, the always active sea lions will greet them. Before the sea lions the zoo has today came, they had three Pacific Walrus', until two of them died of sickness in 2002 and Bruiser was transferred to Seaworld Orlando. This exhibit was also home to Harbor seals. Featured animals include: *California sea lions 'Penguin Walkabout' This is also the entrance to the Children's Zoo and it is one large yard separated by a pool partially under a low elevated boardwalk for 3 African Penguins and 24 Little Penguins. Hershey, a Little Penguin was born at the zoo on January 10, 2011. She was the 22nd little penguin hatched at the zoo. Featured animals include: *African penguin *Little penguin (Zoo Baby) 'Spaulding's Children's Zoo' Renovated in 1984-1985, 55,000 square feet of exhibits that feature rare cousins of common barnyard animals, animals of the eastern U.S. woodlands, and animals of the southwestern U.S. desert. There is a nursery where guests can see either babies born at the zoo or babies that came to the zoo. Each of the baby animals are trained to be able to come out of their exhibit, and interact with keepers and guests. Every year the collection is different, so come and see the cutest animals at the zoo before they leave. Kids can pet tortoises and armadillos, swing like a gibbon, move like a potto and even howl with the wolves in the new and improved playground. Volunteers and keepers bring a certain harmless animal out everyday for guests to be able to touch, and learn more about them. Lucy, a 5-year old bearcat also is another mascot for the Cincinnati Bearcats football team, and she goes to every home game. Which can be located not far away at Nippert Stadium. Featured animals include: Nursery: *Padmae the Aardvark *Adams the Parma wallaby *Lucy the Bearcat *Rock ad Jaz the Bennett's wallabies *Watson the White-nosed Coatimundi Featured animals: *Homing pigeon *Hali a Tawny Frogmouth *Chicken *Red junglefowl Play Area: *Radiated tortoise *Gopher tortoise *Red-footed Tortoise *Southern three-banded armadillo *Six-banded armadillo *Nine-banded armadillo (the three armadillo species are either in the interactive program or rotate in their exhibit every other day) Petting Zoo: *Nigerian dwarf goat *Baby doll sheep Blakely's Barn: *Jacob sheep *Dexter cattle *Nigerian dwarf goat *Miniature cattle (Texas longhorn/Dexter cattle cross) *Miniature Donkey *Llama *Alpaca 'Gibbon Islands' Completed in 1972, Gibbon Islands occupies the former location of the old Opera Pavilion. (From 1920-1971, the Cincinnati Zoo was home to the Cincinnati Opera Summer Festival.) These two islands are surrounded by water that flows from Swan Lake. Bamboo exercise bars are the stage for gibbon who entertain visitors with their acrobatic antics and loud whooping calls while climbing on their giant jungle gyms. Featured apes include: *Siamang *Buff-cheeked gibbon 'Red Panda Habitat' Naturalistic woodland landscape includes many unusual Chinese plant species to simulate the natural forest habitat of the red panda. One pair of red pandas was is a gift to the Cincinnati Zoo from the Beijing Zoo in China. These lavish exhibits are opened aired, that are both connected by a small flowing stream under low elevated bridge. It also provides many tall trees for the 5 pandas to relax and sleep on. The zoo recently announced that they will obtain a male on November 9 from the Houston Zoo, so he could mate with the females at the Cincy Zoo. 'Swan Lake' This big body of water takes up a lot of the zoo's ground, in the early zoo days, when the animals passed away, they would throw their carcass' into the lake, the Elephant skull in Jungle Trails was recovered from the lake. The Cincinnati Zoo was the first place to exhibit and breed trumpeter swans. Featured native wildlife includes: *Mallard *Canada Goose *Mandarin Duck *Northern Pintail *Redhead duck *Trumpeter Swan *Wood Duck Crane Island: Across from the food courts and the main entrance, this medium sized island that opened in2009 is full of lush and shady parts, surrounded by shallow water flowing from Swan Lake to provide a natural setting for Red-crowned cranes. Wetland Trails: Wetland trails is on the other side of the lake, left of the Reptile House and it is home to a Sandhill Crane and other waterfowl from Swan Lake 'Marge-Schott-Unnehehr Elephant Reserve ' The Herbivora building was constructed in 1906 at the huge sum, for then, of $50,000. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975, it is considered one of the most spectacular historic buildings in the zoo world. Originally designed for hoofed animals it was at 150' long and 75' high, the largest and most complete concrete animal building in the world. It has since undergone several renovations and is now the Elephant House. In the year 2000, the whole attraction became Vanishing Giants, featuring a Masai giraffe, Lisala Li an Okapi, and the elephants the zoo has today. In 2007-2008, the giraffe and okapi yards were renovated into a food court area and the giraffe moved to The Wilds 'and the okapi went to the zoo's ''Rhino Reserve where she sired one offspring and then later died in 2010. Elephant Reserve is home to two subspecies of the Asian elephant in 4 acres (largest exhibit at the zoo until '''Africa '''is complete) including a 60,000 gallon pool in the female yard. The zoo has been trying to breed the two by putting Jati in Sabu's yard, but they never have mated since around 1995. The last elephant born at the zoo was in 1998, his name was Ganesh, he was born from Jati and Sabu. The zoo didn't have the right space for a bull and a baby so they transferred Ganesh to the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium in 2003 where he then died of a herpes virus in 2005. Sabu was first transferred to the Louisville Zoo and then to the Dickerson Park Zoo and returned to the Cincy Zoo in fall 2007 and kept inside until August 2008. In the earlier years, Sabu has bred and reproduced with the other two cows at the zoo. '''Featured elephants include: *Indian elephant (Elephas maximus indicus) *Malaysian elephant (Elephas maximus hirsutus, subspecies of the Indian elephant) Meet the Elephants: Indian elephants: *Princess Schottzie II (cow) *My-Thai (cow) Malaysian elephants *Jati (cow) *Sabu (bull) 'Dobsa Giraffe Ridge' This 27,000 square foot, $1.6 million exhibit opened on June 6, 2008 and is also a favorite, mainly because it allows guests to feed crackers to the giraffes on a tall elevated platform. This yard originally was home to 5 Masai Giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis tippelskirchi) from The Wilds; the three boys were one-year old Pekua, eight-month old Mtembei, and six-month old Kimbaumbau (or Kimba) when the exhibit opened. The girls were one-year-old Tessa and 13-month old Akillah when the Giraffe Ridge opened. Pekua and Metembei later on were transfered to different zoos. Guests can view the giraffes in their indoor 2,500-square-foot stalls especially during winter. This will also be apart of the future exhibit-'Africa'- already now featuring the first phase displaying flamingos, cranes and cheetahs. Giraffe Mishaps: '''Akilah a 3 year old giraffe, got her horns stuck in netted fencing and died of Cardiac Arrest. The fencing was then later removed. Kimba mated with Tessa and they bred a beautiful baby girl named Zuri on April 2, 2011. The word zuri means "beautiful" in Swahili. Zuri was everyone's favorite animal at the zoo until she somehow broke her leg in the stalls just 2 months after she was born. Her leg wouldn't heal correctly, so they very sadly had to euthanize her. Everyone's heart dropped in Cincinnati when they heard the awful news; she will always be missed. '''Featured animals include: *Masai giraffes Phase I of Africa: *Greater flamingo *East African crowned crane Meet the Giraffes: *Kimba (M) *Tessa (F) 'Cheetah Encounter' See the fastest felines in the world from the internationally-known Cat Ambassador Program, including the brother coalition, “Bravo” and “Chance” and the world land-speed record holder, “Sarah,” racing at top speeds. Cheetah Encounter takes place Friday through Tuesday at 11 a.m. and Noon. Featured animals include: *Cheetah *Red river hog *Serval 'Oriental Garden' The Oriental Garden is a representation of natural places and plant communities in a Japanese garden style setting which includes a pond filled with Golden Koi fish. 'P&G Discovery Forest' Renovated in 1989, this classroom, located near the Education Center, has seating for the public near animal holding areas. Live animal demonstrations for school groups and Zoo visitors are presented regularly during the summer. In 1989 it was called the Frisch's Discovery Center until it was added on to become a 4,500 square foot atrium Discovery Forest in 2008, and animal exhibits so visitors could see. See either animals in an enclosed, open-aired, surrounded by water, or an animal on a tree surrounded by nothing but guests and small foliage. Featured tropical animals include: *Cane toad *Leroy a Blue-and-gold Macaw *Boa constrictor *Moe a female Linnaeus's two-toed sloth TRAIN RIDE!!! The train ride at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens is a fun way to get the whole family into the Zoo spirit. Some people think that the train ride is for kids and kids alone. They are wrong. The ride is open to all people who purchase a ticket costing at most $5 ( A very reasonable price). You simply purchase your ticket and your off! You take a joy ride around the entire Zoo seeing everything from beautiful lakes to frightening heigths above bloodthirsty flamingos. Any attendee of the Zoo would be be well advised to top off their trip with this ride. The Zoo experience simply isnt complete without it!